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He has deficiencies in his game, but that's what young players do, right? They work to improve their game every year.

It took Harrison like 6-7 years, but everyone wants to forget that and expect immediate Pro Bowl status out of young player or they can't play. Get them on the field and they will either get better or we will know they can't and go to next man up.

It took Harrison like 6-7 years, but everyone wants to forget that and expect immediate Pro Bowl status out of young player or they can't play. Get them on the field and they will either get better or we will know they can't and go to next man up.

I agree. Personally, I have yet to see from Worilds the ability to take over at ROLB in this D. However, we are constantly talking about how rookies can't crack Lebeau's complex D. They have to sit in the wings and develop. Troy and Timmons were both first rounders and looked lost early. Here, we have an experienced backup who sat behind PBers, so no reason to expect him to leapfrog them in the lineup. Time to see what he can do.

It took Harrison like 6-7 years, but everyone wants to forget that and expect immediate Pro Bowl status out of young player or they can't play. Get them on the field and they will either get better or we will know they can't and go to next man up.

Harrison was a UFA while Worilds was a 2nd round pick (57th overall). So would you be ok with re-signing Worilds and giving him 4 more years to develop? BTW Worilds isn't a freakn' rookie. He's been in the system for 3 years.

Beside our LB position where is the next man up for Hood? I'm hoping the light comes on this year for him and Heyward like it did last year for Keenan Lewis.
To this point Keisel is our best DL player and with his age factor it might be wise for the Steelers to select a DL man somewhere in the draft, for his eventual replacement. In fairness to Heyward he hasn't seen the field as much as Hood, maybe it's time they give him more snaps by alternating with the beard.
Hood IMO is just average up to now, we need a playmaker on that D-line in combination of a healthy and ready Woodley as seen our front seven having issues getting pressure on the QB. When Aaron Smith played he was a difference maker, since he left that line wasn't the same and neither were our LBer's so even one playmaker could make a difference.

Getting back to Jason, this is his opportuntity especially in a contract year, starting out of the gate with a good performance may give him the confidence to hold down that position without too much dropoff. Being average isn't good enough, we need above average play from our front seven or we will continue to look for players to get the job done.

Harrison was a UFA while Worilds was a 2nd round pick (57th overall). So would you be ok with re-signing Worilds and giving him 4 more years to develop? BTW Worilds isn't a freakn' rookie. He's been in the system for 3 years.

Once they make the 53 man roster it doesn't matter how they got there. There aren't different rules on the field for draftees versus UDFAs. They all have to perform the same way.

I agree. Personally, I have yet to see from Worilds the ability to take over at ROLB in this D. However, we are constantly talking about how rookies can't crack Lebeau's complex D. They have to sit in the wings and develop. Troy and Timmons were both first rounders and looked lost early. Here, we have an experienced backup who sat behind PBers, so no reason to expect him to leapfrog them in the lineup. Time to see what he can do.

I'll repeat with what I always say. The only people we are confusing with the "complexity" of our defense is ourseleves. It doesn't need to be so complex to the point we waste two years of a players career learning it. Rookies and second year defensive players make impacts across the league but not here. No reason for that.

As I've said before, no one should expect Jason to be a James Harrison. Harrison is one of the greatest OLB's to ever play. That said, if the level of dropoff is minimal (perhaps back to Joey Porter levels), I would be ecstatic! He's been in the system a few years now and can reasonably expect that he is the next man up and not sitting behind a pro-bowler. I'm confident/hopeful that he'll be ready to go.